Angel
by Raspberry Not Pink
Summary: Addison is shocked when Derek's niece is admitted to SGH with an unknown disease. When it becomes a race against time, the doctors are ready to do whatever it takes to save the girl's life. Includes hints of MerDer, Addex and Addek. Based on a true story.
1. Better Days

Chapter One: Better Days

Addison Montgomery was determined to have a good day, no, a great day. Her morning was fairly ordinary. She checked on some patients and delivered a baby by Cesarean. As she was scrubbing out, her pager beeped. After a quick glance at it she made her way down to the Nurses' Station. There, she was greeted by Derek Shepard.

"Addison, hey, listen my sister Catherine is here and she needs a consult. Actually, Natalie needs a consult."

"Okay, sure. What's wrong with Natalie?"

Derek sighed. "We don't know."

Addison's heart sank. "What room is she in?"

"2039. Come on, I'll take you."

She nodded and they maneuvered their way through the busy hallways to the room.

* * *

"Aunt Addie!" The girl on the bed exclaimed happily when she saw them.

Addison gave her a quick hug. "Hi sweetie! I haven't seen you in ages. I can't believe you're sixteen already!"-She turned to the girl's parents-"Catherine! Dave! It's so nice to see you again!"

The family reminisced for a few minutes before Addison changed the subject.

"So seriously, what's wrong with Natalie?"

Derek's oldest sister spoke. "Well, back in September, Natalie started having stomach pains and she lost her appetite. The pediatrician told us it was probably just stress, what with it being such a busy year and all, but in January she got this horrible cough. It didn't seem to be getting any better so we took her to the doctor. They said it was Pneumonia so she was treated for that. But it looks like its back and we wanted a second opinion."

Addison nodded. "Well, we can do some tests. I don't know how much help I'll be though. I'll send someone up in a little while. Okay?"

Addison left the room and was closely followed by Derek.

"So?" He asked her.

"I don't know Derek. We won't know until the test results are in."

"I know that but…you don't think it could be cancer do you?" He looked at her worriedly.

"She's sixteen Derek."

"Yes, but Aaron was diagnosed when he was 13," He pointed out, referring to one of Natalie's older brothers.

"I remember, but we shouldn't jump to conclusions, especially bad ones." She turned and went off in search of Bailey.

She found her filling out a chart at a Nurses' Station.

"What is it Dr. Montgomery?" She asked without even looking up.

"I need an intern for a case and to run some tests."

"Page Karev. He's in the clinic."

Addison thanked her and walked away to page Alex.

A few minutes later, Alex found Addison reading Natalie's chart.

"You paged, Dr. Montgomery?"

"Yes Karev. I need you to do a CT on Derek's niece Natalie, and an MRI too. She's in 2039. Page me as soon as you have the results." Alex nodded and took the chart.

* * *

Soon after, Alex was prepping his newest patient and her parents.

"I'm Dr. Karev and you must be Natalie and Mr. and Mrs. Giambattista," He said shaking their hands.

"Good to meet you," Dave told him.

"I'm here to find out what's wrong with Natalie. So, I'm going to take her off to do a CT Scan and an MRI, which are basically X-Rays of your body."

He explained the rest of the proceedings to the family and wheeled Natalie away. He put her into the CT machine and went into the next room to see the pictures. Slowly, the pictures started to appear. At first glance, everything looked clear but then he noticed a small mass near her lower abdomen. He zoomed in on the area and turned to the nurse.

"Page Dr. Montgomery, now."

The nurse rushed off to do as she was told. Within minutes, Addison had appeared.

"What've we got?"

He pointed to the screen. "It looks like there's a mass on her both her ovaries. But it's hard to tell."

Addison leaned over his shoulder to get a better look. "Oh God. Natalie, no!" She could feel her heart sinking as Alex turned to face her. "Take her back to her room. Don't say anything until we have the labs back. I'll be there soon."

Alex nodded and left.

* * *

Author's Note: This is the true story of a friend of mine named Natalie Giambattista. All the characters are either copyrighted to Shonda Rhimes or are real people. I tried to make Natalie's story as accurate as possible. The major difference is that the Giambattistas live in Fairport, NY. I will be giving commentary on what actually happened to Natalie at the end of every chapter. I don't know the exact dates that Natalie was diagnosed or when she had her surgery. I do know that the last day she was at school, before the events in this chapter took place, was approximately February 9, 2007.

Reviews would be nice so that I know that someone is actually reading this.


	2. Breathe In, Breathe Out

Chapter Two: Breathe In, Breathe Out

"Cancer," Addison repeated for the third time as she and Alex stared at the lab results.

"Ovarian cancer in a sixteen year old. Have you ever seen that before?" He asked.

"Karev," She sighed, "I don't think it's Ovarian Cancer. It looks like it's spreading from somewhere. We have to find out where…Let's go tell her."

When they reached the room, Addison took a deep breath before knocking.

"Natalie…" She began, "When we did the CT Scan we found tumors on your ovaries."

Three pairs of eyes widened in shock and horror.

"How…How did this happen? Is it cancer? Why didn't any of the other tests catch it?" Dave asked.

Addison sighed again. "The tumors could have easily been missed. That explains why we didn't catch it sooner…It appears to be cancer but we don't know what kind or how advanced it is yet. We won't know until we find out where it started, because I don't think it started in her ovaries."

"What happens now? What do I do?" Natalie asked quietly.

"We need to get the tumors out as soon as possible. I'm scheduling a surgery for this Friday, the 16th."

"That soon?" Natalie asked.

Addison nodded sadly. "Yes."-She gave her niece a tight hug-"I'm so sorry sweetie."

Addison and Alex left the room and turned down another hallway. Addison leaned against the wall, holding back a sob. Alex put his arm around her shoulders as a tear finally slid down her cheek. He led her into a nearby stairwell and sat down on the steps with her.

"Nattie was the flower girl in our wedding," She told him, "She was only five and she was so cute…Her brother had cancer too, you know. Aaron. He was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma when he was thirteen. He's 19 now…There's four other kids in the family. Sean's the oldest. Then Emily and Aaron and Nattie. Allison's 12 and Dana's only 9…Pneumonia? How could the doctor think it was Pneumonia?" Her voice cracked and she leaned into Alex's embrace.

"We'll find the cancer." He said reassuringly, "Don't worry. She'll be okay."

Addison swallowed hard and stood up. "Thank you, Karev."

* * *

Two days later, Addison arrived at the hospital early to make sure everything was ready for Natalie's surgery. She met Bailey and the interns just in time for rounds. They followed her into Natalie's room.

"Natalie Giambattista, sixteen. In for a surgery to remove tumors on her ovaries," Alex presented.

"Right Karev," Addison said turning to the family, "Someone will be up to do a pre-op in about an hour. Okay?"Catherine and Dave nodded but Natalie looked at her aunt with fear in her eyes. Addison gave her a hug. "Be brave Nattie. I'll take care of you."

Natalie nodded and watched as Addison followed the other doctors into the hall.

"…Alright people," Bailey was telling the interns, "Dr. Montgomery needs two interns. Let's see, Karev and Stevens, you're on her case. Now,"-she gave them all a stern look-"that is Dr. Shepard's niece and Dr. Montgomery's ex-niece, or whatever. Be nice to her. She is sixteen and scared. The family has a history of childhood cancer so they know the risks…Behave yourselves. This case is not to be joked about in any way. Got it?"-they all nodded-"Okay. Yang, you're with Burke. O'Malley, Grey, pit."

"What about Dr. Shepard?" Meredith asked hopefully.

"He's on scut. Now go save some lives."

* * *

A little while later, Addison was standing outside her niece's room when Alex and Izzie arrived to do the pre-op. Addison stopped them as they started to enter.

"Wait, don't go in yet…She's praying. If you disturb her it will upset her."

The interns did as they were told and waited quietly.

Addison broke the silence. "Don't…Don't treat her differently."

"What?" Izzie asked.

Addison sighed. "She's sixteen. She plays tennis, skis and runs track. She plays tuba and she's in all honors classes. This shouldn't be happening to her but it is. Don't treat her like a kid with cancer. Just, treat her like a teenager."

They nodded and Addison motioned toward the room and watched as they began the procedures.

"What are you reading?" Alex asked his patient.

"Catcher and the Rye. It's for school," She replied, showing him the cover.

"That's a good one," He remarked, "What else do you read in 11th grade English?"

"Um, Macbeth, Scarlet Letter, Great Gatsby, Death of a Salesman. I don't remember what else."

"That sounds exciting," He said sarcastically.

"Forgive him. We doctors tend to be more into the math and science stuff," Izzie told her.

"Yeah, me too," Natalie agreed, "I loved Bio and Chem."

Izzie smiled at her. "Good choices. Have you thought about being a doctor?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe."

Alex and Izzie finished up the exam and left. Natalie noticed Addison in the doorway.

"Aunt Addie! You can come in."-Addison obliged and sat on the edge of the bed-"Do you care if I still call you Aunt Addie? I know you're divorced but still…"

Addison gave her a small smile. "I don't mind. Where are your parents?"

"Getting coffee I think…Hey, does the hot doctor have to see me naked? 'Cause it's kinda weird."

Addison laughed. "I'll do my best to see that he doesn't. You know they call your uncle 'McDreamy?"

"You're kidding! Who says that?"

"His girlfriend, her friends."

"Which one is she?" Natalie asked, curious.

"Dr. Grey, the tiny one with the brown hair. Remember Mark Sloan? They call him 'McSteamy."

Natalie giggled. "Ew. Seriously? McDreamy and McSteamy? Are there others?"

Addison shook her head. "Not that I know of."

"Aunt Addie?" Natalie said suddenly.

"Yeah?"

"I'm scared."

Addison gave her a hug. "That's okay. We all are."

"Am I going to be okay?"

"I hope so Nattie."

"Thanks Aunt Addie."

"I'm here to help you fight this. If you ever have any questions or you're scared or you need someone to talk to, call me. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Good. Now I have to go change but I'll see you in a little while."

Natalie nodded bravely. Addison gave her a hug and left the room.

* * *

A half hour later, Addison entered the OR followed by Izzie and Alex. Alex picked up a scalpel but Addison shook her head.

"No Karev. Let Stevens do it."

"Seriously? Why?"

"I told Natalie that I wouldn't let you see her naked."

He raised his eyebrows. "Why?"

"Because Karev," Addison sighed, "She is a teenage girl and you are a 'hot' doctor."

Izzie laughed as Alex handed her the scalpel. "Fine. Whatever."

"Thank you Karev."

Izzie opened their patient up and the doctors surveyed the damage done by the tumors. They removed the tumors and Addison let Izzie close. When Addison looked up she noticed Derek watching from the gallery. She caught his eye and gave him a thumbs up/ He smiled and left.

* * *

Later that day, Addison, Izzie and Alex entered Natalie's room.

"How are you feeling Nattie?" Addison asked when she saw her niece was awake.

"Gross. Exposed."

Addison smiled sympathetically and addressed the family. "Well, the good news is that the surgery was successful. The tumor is out, but we still don't know where the cancer started or how advanced it is. I want to keep Natalie overnight to keep an eye on her and run some tests, okay?"-Natalie nodded-"And Derek and I will both be on call so if you need anything we'll be here."

"Thank you Addison, for everything," Dave said gratefully.

"It's nothing. Natalie deserves the best and Seattle Grace is the best. We will find out what's wrong, I promise."

* * *

Author's Note: Wow! I was shocked when I checked my email this morning to find so many reviews! Thank you! I'm glad so many people are reading Natalie's story. I want to start out by saying that, medically, I'm sure that not all of my information about testing, surgeries and cancer treatment is correct, but I did my best. It is true that Natalie was treated for Pneumonia. All the information about the activities Natalie's involved in is true. She's very smart and athletic. She's also very religious. The Giambattistas are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints. Natalie's brother Aaron really did have cancer also. The title of this chapter came from the song "Breathe In, Breathe Out" by Mat Kearney. I think the lyrics really fit with this chapter.

Please continue to read and review!


	3. Let It Be

Chapter Three: Let It Be 

The first thing Addison did the next morning was find the Chief. She found him in his office and knocked lightly on the door.

"Chief, I need to speak to you."

He looked up and sighed. "What is it Addison?"

"It's about one of my patients. Actually, it's Derek's niece. No one can figure out what's wrong with her. All I know is that I took tumors off of her ovaries yesterday. Sir, what do I do?"

"So it's cancer then? How old is she?"

"She'll be seventeen in April."

The Chief shook his head sadly. "I wish I had a better answer for you. If you've done all the tests, all you can do is educate yourself. Do some research. Get some interns to help you and keep an eye on the cancer."

Addison thanked him and rushed off in search of Bailey and her interns.

"Dr. Bailey!" She called, "I need your interns."

"Why?" Bailey asked warily.

"I need them to help me figure out what's wrong with Natalie Giambattista."

Bailey gave her a look and turned to the interns. "You can have three. Karev, Grey, Stevens, help Dr. Montgomery. Yang, Burke. O'Malley, you're with Shepard."

"Thank you Dr. Bailey," Addison said and led Meredith, Alex and Izzie away.

On the way to Natalie's room, she briefed them on her history and condition. When they reached room 2018, they were shocked to find a small crowd of people in the room, as well as numerous flowers and balloons.

"Wow," Meredith murmured under her breath.

Addison shook her head and introduced everyone. "This is Dr. Grey, Dr. Stevens and Dr. Karev. They will be assisting me today."-She gestured to the family-"And this is Catherine, Dave, Natalie, of course, Sean, his wife Lauren, Emily, Allison, Aaron and Daney."

The family and interns greeted each other while Addison turned to Natalie. "So, how are you feeling? Any pain? Everything working okay?"

"Well, I can't move around very well and my scar hurts, but other than that I'm fine."

"Good. We'll see how you feel later and you can go home tonight or tomorrow morning. Sound good?"-Natalie nodded enthusiastically-"In the meantime, Dr. Stevens, Dr. Grey and Dr. Karev are going to run some tests for different forms of cancer."

"Awesome," Natalie grinned.

Addison turned to the rest of the family. "I'm sorry guys, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave. Go get some breakfast or something."

Dave agreed and ushered his wife and other children out of the room. "Come on, leave Nat alone so the doctors can do their job."

* * *

Later that morning, Meredith came to check on Natalie. While she was reading the chart, she could feel Natalie's eyes on her. She glanced over at her patient.

"So, you're Dr. Grey."

"Yes…" Meredith said slowly.

"You're the one Uncle Derek left Aunt Addie for."

"I guess," she said, a sinking feeling in her chest.

"I know it's not your fault. I'm not blaming you or anything. The whole family knows what they did to each other. We could see it coming. It was just a matter of when and how they broke up. No one blames you, or them. Personally, I like to blame Mark Sloan."-She grinned-"Mostly because it's fun to blame him for everything that goes wrong. You seem nice though. I just wanted you to know that I don't hate you."

Meredith studied her for a minute before speaking. "Thanks. You can call me Meredith if you want."

"Okay."

They were quiet for a few minutes while Meredith listened to Natalie's heartbeat.

"I'm not going to try to replace her," Meredith said suddenly.

"What?"

"I don't want, nor do I think I could replace Addison. She's, well, emotionally stable and I'm dark and twisty. I can tell you two are really close and I'm not looking to change that. I'm jealous actually. You have a family who worries about you and visits you and cares about you…"-She gestured around the room-"This is my family."

"Don't you have a real family?"

Meredith shook her head. "My mother was a surgeon and my father left when I was five. He has a family but I'm not part of it."

Natalie nodded in understanding. "I'm guessing that explains the 'dark and twisty."

"Probably. But, on a lighter note, you're doing great. I'll page Addison and she'll decide if you can go home tonight."

"Okay, thanks."-Meredith started to leave but Natalie spoke to her-"Meredith? We, the Shepards I mean, we can be your family, if you want. You are Uncle Derek's girlfriend and all…"

Meredith smiled, said, "I'll be back," and left.

She paged Addison and waited at the nearest Nurses' Station. Momentarily, Addison appeared.

"How's Natalie doing?"

"Great. Her vitals are stable and she seems to be recovering fine. I think she's well enough to go home."

"Thank you Dr. Grey, I'm glad. I'll just go talk to her parents and then you can discharge her."

They walked back down the hall and entered the room to find Catherine and Dave watching the news and Natalie talking on the phone in a mix of French and English. When she saw Addison and Meredith she said goodbye and hung up the phone.

"Wow," Addison said, "Who do you know that speaks that much French?"

"Camille, duh."

Addison raised her eyebrows. "Who's Camille?"

"You don't know about Camille? We really haven't talked to you in awhile. Camille is a girl from France who is staying with us for the year."

"That's awesome. Where was she earlier?"

"She's in the school musical and they had rehearsal this morning."

"I'll have to meet her sometime."

"Sure. So can I go home?"

"You can go home as long as you promise to stay in bed or lay on the couch until your scar heals, that should only be a few days. And I want you back here next Thursday for a checkup. Deal?"

"Anything for you, Aunt Addie."

"Alright, Dr. Grey will fill out your chart and then your parents have to sign some things and then you're free to go. If you feel sick or anything don't hesitate to call. I'm quite literally, always here, so is Derek."-She gave Natalie a gentle hug and waved to Catherine and Dave-"See you on Thursday."

"Bye Aunt Addie."

Catherine and Dave thanked her and Addison left.

* * *

Author's Note: Once again, I was amazed at the number of people who have read this story or put it on their alert. I think I'm going to wait a couple days to post the next chapter so I can catch up on the upcoming chapters and so that people can catch up on 1-3. Keep the reviews coming! Also, on my author page, there is a picture of Natalie, in case you're interested.

I don't think there's a whole lot to say about this chapter. Camille came to stay with the Giambattistas in late August 2006. She came to the US for another year of high school after she graduated from her school in France. She graduated as a member of the Class of 2007. She returned to France a couple days after graduation in June.

Keep reading.


	4. How To Save A Life

Chapter Four: How to Save a Life

The days wore on and still no one could diagnose Natalie's mysterious form of cancer. On Thursday morning, Addison desperately went to the Chief. As soon as he closed the door to his office, a tear slid down her cheek. The Chief invited her to sit and Addison obliged.

"What is it now?" He asked calmly, handing her a tissue.

"It's been almost a week since the surgery, Richard. What do I tell her? What do I tell Derek? I'm letting them all down…"-She wiped the tears away-"I'm supposed to be the best and I can't even give my niece a diagnosis. I need help."

The Chief placed his hand on hers. "You are the best, Addie, but maybe this is out of your control." He reached for the phone on his desk and started dialing.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm calling a friend of mine, James Holden. He's a doctor at Harvard who specializes in cancer research."

Addison stared at him, astonished. "Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously."-He motioned for her to be quiet-"Hello, Jim? It's Richard Webber. How are you?...Good, good. Listen, I was wondering if you'd be willing to help me out with a case. It's my head of Neuro and my head of Neonatal's niece. She's 16 and has some mysterious form of cancer…You will? Great! I'll send you everything later today…Thanks again. We really appreciate it…I'll talk to you soon…Bye." Richard hung up the phone and looked at Addison triumphantly.

"Seriously!"

He smiled at her. "I'll come down and talk to her family."

"Thank you so much! You have no idea what this means to us, to me." She gave him a hug and rushed out of the office.

As she rounded the corner, she narrowly missed colliding with her ex-husband.

"Derek! Sorry!"

"Careful," He said, sidestepping her, "Why are you so bright and shiny?"

"The Chief talked to a friend of his at Harvard who specializes in cancer research, and he said he would help out with Natalie's case!"

"Seriously? That's great Addison! Is Natalie here now?"

"No, she has an appointment at 9:30."

"Oh, okay. I'll try to stop by," He promised as his paged beeped, "See you later."

"Bye!" She called as he ran off.

* * *

At 9:30, Addison met the interns and Bailey outside room 3054. They followed her inside and Bailey looked at Meredith expectantly.

"Grey?"

"Natalie Giambattista, 16. In for a post-op checkup after having tumors removed from her ovaries," Meredith replied.

"Right," Addison said, turning toward her patient, "Today, we're going to make sure you're healing good and do a CT to check on the cancer, okay?"-Natalie nodded-"Great. We'll be back soon."

Out in the hall, Bailey addressed the interns.

"Stevens, Shepard. Yang, pit. O'Malley, you're with Burke. Grey and Karev, you're on Natalie's case today."

Moments later, Alex and Meredith were back in 3054.

"Seriously?" Natalie said when she saw Alex, "What did you do that you're always with Aunt Addie? 'Cause I doubt you're going into Neonatal."

Meredith laughed and Alex shot his fellow intern a glare. "Dr. Bailey assigned me to your Aunt."

"Oh, I see, so you're only taking care of me because you have to, and it has nothing to do with the fact that you think Aunt Addie is hot."

He glared at Meredith again. "What did you tell her?"

The girls cracked up. "I didn't say anything, Alex. She just tricked you into saying that!"

"It's so obvious anyway," Natalie added, "No one had to tell me. I've seen the way you look at her."

Alex quickly looked from one girl to the other, his face turning red, and quickly changed the subject. "So, um, are you having any pain?"

"Well…"

"She's having trouble breathing," Catherine told them, "And she coughs a lot."

Meredith made a note on the chart. "Okay, we'll check on that. How's your stomach?"

"It hurts," Natalie sighed, "Still."

"Alright, we're going to do some tests and then Addison will talk to you when we have the results." Natalie and her mother nodded.

* * *

A few hours later, Addison entered the room to find Natalie alone, listening to her iPod. She pulled a chair up to the bed and sat down. Natalie took off her headphones and grinned.

"How's it going?"

Natalie shrugged. "It's going…So, Aunt Addie, what do you think of Dr. Karev?"

"I think he's too old for you."

Natalie rolled her eyes. "Duh. I mean, what do _you_ think of him?"

"I think he's a good doctor. Why?"

She smirked. "Let's just say a little bird told me he thinks you're hot."

Addison's face turned pink. "I see. And who was this little bird? Was it a nurse?"

"Actually, he accidently admitted it earlier when he and Meredith were here. We kinda ganged up on him…So, do you like him?"

"That is a very personal question," she said, flustered, "and as your doctor I refuse to answer."

"You do like him, don't you!" Natalie grinned, excitedly, "So, are you gonna make a move? Are you gonna ask him out?"

"No!" Her Aunt said and quickly changed the subject, "What were you listening to?"

"I was listening to 'All You Need is Love," She said laughing at the look on her Aunt's face, "Just kidding, but I really was listening to the Beatles. See my iPod? My friends Kristin and Lauren gave it to me on Sunday."

"That was nice of them."

"Yeah…So, why are you in here? Did my test results come back yet?

Addison nodded. "Meredith's getting them as we speak. We're just waiting for your mom and Dr. Karev and Dr. Webber."

"Who?"

"Dr. Webber is the Chief of Surgery. He has something to tell you and your mom."

"Is it bad? Do I need another surgery?"

"No, it's good. No more surgeries for the moment."

"Oh, okay. That's good, I guess."

"Dr. Webber taught Derek, Mark and I when we were interns. Actually, come to think about it, so did Meredith's mom, Ellis Grey."

"Really?"

"Mmm-hmm."

"That's cool. Were you guys good interns?"

"Nah, we were so immature. Actually, let me rephrase that, Mark and Derek were immature."

"Let me guess, you were an angel and always obeyed the rules."

"As a matter of fact, yes, I was."

"Ha!"-The girls turned to see Derek leaning against the doorway-"That depends on what a normal person would consider angelic behavior."

"What are you talking about, Derek? Go away."

"Aunt Addie?"-Natalie turned to her uncle-"What did she do?"

"At the hospital Christmas party, our first year, Addie spiked the punch."

"Mark dared me!" Addison protested as Natalie and Derek laughed.

"So? You still did it. And you got the Chief drunk!"

Before Addison could come up with a comeback, Meredith appeared in the doorway. "Um, Dr. Montgomery?"

Addison stood up. "What is it, Grey?"

"I have Natalie's labs."

"Good. Where's Karev? And the Chief?"

Alex went to find Mrs. Giambattista and the Chief is on his way."

"Good."

"Hey, uh guys? Why do I feel like this isn't going to be good news?" Natalie asked.

"It's okay, Nat. You're fine," Addison reassured her.

"If you say so. And you still owe me an honest answer to my question before."

"Which question was that?"

"You know, about Dr-"

Addison rolled her eyes. "Not gonna happen Nat."

"We'll see…"

At that moment, Alex and Catherine entered the room. The group chatted while they waited for the Chief, who arrived a few minutes later.

The Chief greeted Natalie and her mother and shook each of their hands. "Hello, I'm Dr. Webber. I'm the Chief of Surgery at Seattle Grace. I know that you're concerned about the lack of diagnosis of Natalie's form of cancer. I would just like to reassure you that we are doing everything we can. This morning, I spoke with a colleague of mine who specializes in cancer research at Harvard. He has graciously agreed to take on Natalie's case."

Natalie gaped. "Harvard? Seriously?"

The Chief smiled kindly at her. "Yes, young lady, everyone is fully committed to helping you fight and beat this."

"Great, let's do it then."

Richard laughed. "The tests show that the cancer may have began in her abdomen and spread to her ovaries. The goal is to prevent it from spreading further, and to catch it quickly if it does. As soon as we locate the origin, Natalie should start Radiation and Chemotherapy."

Natalie wrinkled her nose. "Okay…"

The Chief outlined the rest of his treatment plan and left Natalie to be discharged.

* * *

Author's Note: I have to admit, I was a little disapointed at the lack of reviews for Chapter 3. I only got one. My wonderful readers will have to work on that.

So, when Kristin told me that Natalie had cancer, one of the things she mentioned was that a doctor at Harvard was helping out with her case. I know hardly anything about his or her involvement butI thought it was awesome so I included it in the story.

Reviews are always appreciated!


	5. Help!

Chapter Five: Help!

The days wore on and the doctors continued to make little progress. Despite the regular checkups, Natalie's condition went undiagnosed. The Chief frequently made calls to Dr. Holden with Natalie's most recent medical information.

After nine days, the doctors made a horrific discovery. Meredith had been assigned to Natalie's case that day and was performing the weekly CT Scan. When she saw the unfamiliar masses appear on the screen she immediately paged Addison and the Chief. When they arrived, Meredith silently pointed to the image of Natalie's lungs. Addison quickly sat down and put her face in her hands, ignoring the tears that were threatening to fall. The Chief swore under his breath and left the room.

Addison was silent while the Chief talked to Natalie and her parents. She had been unable to meet her niece's eyes as she heard the news that her lungs were being attacked by a new band of tumors. As soon as she left the room, Addison began to feel dizzy and a wave of nausea washed over her. She swayed on the spot and ducked into the nearest restroom. She barely made it into the stall before she started retching. Feeling weak and vulnerable, she continued to lean over the toilet as the last of her breakfast reappeared. She flushed the toilet and slowly stood up, making her way over to the sink. She splashed cold water on her face and rinsed her mouth out before exiting the bathroom. She had made it five feet when she heard someone call her name.

"Dr. Montgomery?"Addison slowly turned to see Alex leaving a patient's room.

She covered her mouth slightly to hide her breath. "What is it Karev?"

His eyes narrowed. "Are you alright? You look pale."

"I'm fine," She told him as she leaned against the wall for balance.

"Are you sure? Why don't you sit down for a few minutes?"

Head spinning, she carefully nodded. "Maybe for a few minutes."

Alex helped her into an empty on call room and onto the bottom bunk.

"Are you okay?" He asked her again.

Her voice shook when she spoke. "G-Grey found tumors on Natalie's lungs."

Alex was silent. He sat down next to Addison and put an arm around her shoulders. Her heart fluttered at the gesture and subconsciously, she leaned her head on his shoulder. He rubbed circles into her back and her eyelids slowly drifted shut.

"Thank you Karev," She whispered.

* * *

Addison woke to the sound of her pager beeping. She sat up and nearly hit her head on the top bunk. Then the memories came rushing back, Natalie, getting sick in the bathroom, Alex. She glanced around the empty room, feeling slightly embarrassed. Hurriedly, she left the room to answer her page, searching her pocket for a breath mint.

She entered room 2027 to find a very pregnant patient named Delilah Turner and her husband, Bill. Addison learned that the couple was expecting quintuplets and that Delilah had been refered to her for her C-Section. Addison gave Delilah a check up and monitored each of the babies. She assured the couple that each baby was developing well and that all five appeared to be quite healthy.

After the exam was over, Addison retreated to her office. She rinsed her mouth out with mouthwash and gulped down a pill for her pounding head. Determined to avoid Alex or any other reminders of that morning, Addison hid in her office, catching up on paperwork until it was time to go home.

* * *

Author's Note: Greetings, faithful readers! Thank you for the reviews. I'm sorry I took so long to load this chapter and I'm sorry it's so short. As a warning, the next chapter is short too. It didn't feel right to combine them though. Important things are happening soon, in real life and in the story.

It is with great regret I tell you that tumors were found on Natalie's lungs. I don't know the exact date so I picked one that kind of fit with the timeline. Also, Delilah, Bill and their quints are fictional. I felt like Addison needed a new patient to take care of. Also, they play a crucial role in later chapters.

Check out my profile page for pictures of Natalie and more info about her. Keep reviewing! I appreciate them so much.


	6. Bridge Over Troubled Water

Chapter Six: Bridge Over Troubled Water

At 7:33 on the night of March 7th, Addison was having a drink at Joe's when her phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Addie, it's Richard. Jim just called. I put him on hold. I think you'd better come back here."

"I'm on my way."

She hung up, threw some cash on the counter, grabbed her coat and left the bar.

When she arrived back at the hospital, she headed straight for the Chief's office. Addison knocked and was invited inside. She was surprised to see Derek already seated and nervously sat down opposite him. They both looked nervously at the Chief who silently pressed the speaker phone button on the telephone resting on his desk.

"Jim? Addison and Derek are both here."

"Good," The voice of James Holden said, "Alright, the good news is that today we were able to diagnose Natalie Giambattista's cancer."-Addison's eyes grew wide in happiness and excitement-"She has a Krukenberg Tumor."

"I've never heard of it," Addison said curiously.

"Well, it's quite rare. It only accounts for about 2 of Ovarian Cancers. It's most often found in middle aged women. One of the symptoms that Natalie showed was abdominal or pelvic pain. It is usually identified by an abdominal mass. We aren't certain yet how it spreads…I hate to say it, but the prognosis gets worse if the metastasis to the ovary is found before the primary tumor. The prognosis rate ranges from a few weeks to a few months to a few years."

Addison's heart sank.

"What about the primary carcinoma?" The Chief pressed.

"They are very small and are hard to detect. The tumors on Natalie's ovaries are Signet Ring Cells, which is typical."

"What do you suggest for treatment?"

"Unfortunately, Chemo and Radiation aren't always very effective. You can make your own judgments though. I'm going to fax you all of my notes."

"Thank you so much," Addison said appreciatively, "For everything."

"If you need anything else, don't hesitate to call. I'm sorry it wasn't better news."

"We're all eternally grateful," Derek assured the man.

"Well, good luck. I hope your niece can pull through. It's been a pleasure working with you."

They said goodbye and the Chief hung up. The trio sat in silence for a few minutes before Derek turned to Addison.

"Addie, you have to call Natalie and her family and tell them."

"Why me? You're her Uncle."

"Addison, you're Nat's doctor. It has to be you."

Addison looked nervously at Richard who nodded. She sighed and picked up the phone.

"Hello? Daney?...Sweetie, it's Aunt Addison. Are your parents there?...Thanks…Hi, Dave, it's Addison. I'm sorry to call so late…How's Natalie?…Good. Listen, I think you guys had better come down here tomorrow. We know what kind of cancer Natalie has…Okay. Just have a nurse page me when you get here…Good night."-Addison hung up and drew a shaky breath.-"They're coming after Seminary tomorrow morning."

Addison's shoulders shook as she fought back tears. Derek put a comforting arm around her and Richard patted her leg.

"That took courage, Addie," Richard told her, "I'll be right there with you tomorrow. Treating a family member is one of the most difficult things you will have to do as a Doctor. You are doing a wonderful job."

She gave him a small smile. "Thanks."

"Do you want me to give you a ride home?" Derek asked her.

She shook her head and stood up. "No thanks. I think I'm going to just stay here. I don't really want to be alone at my hotel."

Addison said goodnight and left in search of an empty on-call room.

* * *

When Addison got up the next morning, she showered in one of the locker rooms and changed into a pair of clean scrubs. While checking on some patients, her pager beeped, telling her that the Giambattistas had arrived. She made her way to the designated conference room and gathered her nerves before entering.

Natalie, Catherine, Dave, the Chief and Bailey were already seated around the table. Addison slid into the seat next to the Chief. She looked at the Chief reluctantly. He smiled encouragingly at her and she took a deep breath.

"Natalie, you have a Krukenberg Tumor…" Addison told her.

With the help of the Chief, Addison told them everything they knew about Signet Ring Carcinoma. Natalie was quiet throughout the meeting. While Richard was laying out a treatment plan, Addison stole a glance at her niece. The look on her face was unreadable but Addison could tell she was silently praying.

When the meeting was over, Addison wrapped her niece into a tight hug. "Nattie, I'm so sorry this is happening to you," She whispered in her ear, "I wish I knew how to take away your pain."

Natalie pulled away slightly and looked Addison right in the eyes. "Stop apologizing, Aunt Addie. It's not your fault. You couldn't have prevented it. God wanted this to happen to me, so it's happening. It's as simple as that. If it wasn't me, it might have been Daney or Emily or Allison or someone else. God's gonna help me through this. I trust Him. I know you aren't that religious but you have to trust Him too. Okay?"

Addison was taken aback. She suddenly had a newfound admiration for her niece, who could put so much blind trust in her Heavenly Father. "Alright. Call me if you need anything." She squeezed her shoulder and left the room.

* * *

Author's Note: I'm sorry it's been so long since I updated. I hope you all haven't given up on me or this story. Although, if you had, you wouldn't be reading this now.

Anyway, on March 8th, 2007, Natalie was diagnosed with a Krukenberg Tumor/Signet Ring Carcinoma. All the information in here came from either word of mouth or the internet. I tried to show a little more of Nat's religious side in this chapter. I think it seemed like she and Addison were being a little hostile to each other, but that was completely not my intention. I didn't really know how to end the chapter so it's kind of abrupt. The next chapter is quite long though.

Check my author page often, I change it about once a week. Please review so I know someone out there is still reading this! Thanks a bunch!


	7. Suddenly I See

Chapter Seven: Suddenly I See

That night Addison was in her hotel room when her cell phone rang. She glanced at the clock and picked up her phone.

"Hello?"

"Aunt Addie?"

"Natalie? Sweetie, are you okay?"

"No I'm fine," She reassured her, "I guess. Were you asleep?"

"No. I just got back from the hospital."-She paused-"Did you need something?"

The line was quiet for a minute and Addison guessed that Natalie was trying to put her thoughts into words.

"Can we talk for awhile?...I mean you said I could call you, and I couldn't sleep…It's just that, I'm kind of tired of being around my friends and family and everyone else all the time. I feel like they don't know what to say to me. Or that they're too worried about me to think of anything else besides the fact that I'm sick…"

Addison's heart went out to her niece. "Oh Nattie, of course. I'm all ears. Um, how's your schoolwork going? Have you finished Catcher in the Rye yet?"

"Yeah. I liked it. My school won't let me get a tutor so Kristin's been bringing homework for me."

"Really? Why?"

"I don't know, something about having to miss so many consecutive days before they'll give you one. I haven't been to school since the week before my surgery! Plus I've missed a lot of days already."

"Wow, that's stupid. At least you're trying to keep up."

"Yeah, I get so bored just sitting around by myself all day while my parents are at work."

"Sure," Addison said sympathetically. "So, how are all your friends?"

"They're good. I feel so out of the loop though. I have no idea what's going on. Kristin's birthday is in a couple weeks and I have to get her something. Everyone's too busy though, I feel bad asking."

"I'll take you."

"What are you talking about?"

"I don't have any surgeries tomorrow and as long as you're up to it, I'll take you shopping. You can get Kristin a present and you won't be alone all day."

"Seriously? That would be fabulous!" Natalie said excitedly.

"I'll pick you up at 12 okay?"

"Okay. I'll call you in the morning if my mom says no."

"Alright. You should get some sleep."

"Yeah, probably. Thank you so much Aunt Addie!"

"Anything for you, Nattie. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye."

"Good night," Addison said and hung up the phone.

* * *

At the hospital the next morning, Addison sought out the Chief to tell him that she was talking a few hours off. She found him looking over the OR board.

"Chief," she called to him.

"Addison, what can I do for you?"

"Sir, is it alright if I take a few hours off, from like 11-5? I'm taking Natalie shopping. I think she's been lonely being at home alone during the day, and I wanted to spend some time with her."

He glanced up at the OR board. "As long as you don't have any surgeries today, that's fine. Have one of the interns keep an eye on your patients."

"Thank you, Sir!"

"Have a good time."

Addison managed to convince Bailey to put George in charge of her patients. They gave each one a quick check up and Addison got ready to leave. She grabbed her purse from her office and headed out to the parking lot.

The Giambattistas' home was about twenty minutes outside the city. Unnerved slightly by the silence, she flicked on the radio. The first thing she heard was Tim McGraw's "Live like You Were Dying." She immediately changed the station. She really didn't need to hear that song right now. She heard the familiar beginning chords of "Piano Man" by Billy Joel and was satisfied.

The radio lasted until she pulled into the Giambattistas' driveway. She turned off the ignition, got out of the car and walked up the front steps. Natalie answered the door.

"Hi!" She said stepping aside so her aunt could enter the foyer.

"You seem bright and shiny today," Addison said with a smile.

"I am so excited! I haven't gone anywhere besides church or the hospital in so long! Not that I mind seeing you and Uncle Derek and Meredith and Dr. Karev and Dr. Stevens, but I obviously wish it was for a better reason. You have to see the giant card my friends made for me! It's in my room, come on!" Natalie was talking a mile a minute and for a moment, Addison was reminded of the energetic little girl who couldn't sit still at her and Derek's wedding. She laughed to herself as she followed Natalie up the stairs and down the hall. When they entered Natalie's bedroom, Addison immediately spotted the card. It was a folded piece of lime green poster board with blue lettering that read, "Firefly, You Light Up the World!"

"You have awesome friends," Addison remarked as she read the messages on the inside.

"Yes I do," Natalie grinned fondly, "Come on let's go!"

She grabbed her purse and headed back down the stairs, closely followed by Addison. After Natalie locked the front door, they went out to the car, got in and buckled their seatbelts. Addison backed out of the driveway and drove toward the highway.

"You can change the radio station, if you want," Addison told her.

"Ooh! Do you mind if I hook up my iPod?"

"Go for it."

Natalie took her iPod out of her purse and plugged it into the stereo. Josh Turner's song "Your Man" began to play.

"Ah, I love this song! Do you know it?" Natalie asked excitedly.

"Indeed I do. Josh Turner is a fine specimen of a man."

"Here, here!" Natalie laughed, "Let me find something else that we can sing along to. What do you like?"

"I like everything. Do you have 'Our Song?"

"Of course!" Natalie found the song and turned the volume up.

She started to sing along with much gusto, and after a few lines Addison joined in. They sang with such great enthusiasm that Addison could hardly hear Taylor Swift over their own voices. She laughed to herself as the song ended.

"Whenever Lauren and I hear that song we always sing along at the top of our voices," Natalie explained.

Addison laughed. "You pick now."

Natalie thought for a moment before making her selection. When the song began to play she grinned at Addison and began to sing along, "Love and marriage, love and marriage. They go together like a horse and carriage. This I'll tell you, brother, you can't have one without the other."

Addison joined in for the next verse. "Love and marriage, love and marriage," They sang, "It's an institute you can't disparage. Ask the local gentry and they will say it's elementary. Try, try, try to separate them. It's an illusion. Try, try, try, and you will only come to this conclusion. Love and marriage, love and marriage, go together like a horse and carriage. Dad was told by mother, you can't have one without the other. You can't have one without the other. You can't have one without the other."

"Why do I feel like you're trying to tell me something?" Addison asked when the song ended a few minutes later.

"I think you're being paranoid."

Addison ignored this remark and pulled into the mall's parking lot. "So, where do you want to go?"

"Um, Macys, I guess. Then maybe American Eagle or Aéropostle or something."

"You got it."

Addison parked in an empty space and they got out of the car and headed toward the entrance. Once inside, Natalie headed straight for the Juniors' department. When Addison caught up with her, Natalie was completely distracted by the dress display.

"Ooh, Aunt Addie, can I try this one on?" She asked, holding up a floor length blue prom dress.

Addison consented, knowing full well that dress shopping was a frequent pastime of Natalie and her friends, and that it would probably sidetrack Natalie for hours. "Go for it."

"Thank you! I'll be quick, I promise. I just want to try on this blue one and a couple others."

Together, they browsed the other dresses on the rack. Addison held up a pale yellow strapless dress with a full skirt. "Oh, Nattie, look at this one! You have to try it on. You'll look so pretty!"

"It's yellow! That makes me so happy! I'll definitely try it on. This green one too, I think," She said holding up an emerald green dress.

Addison followed Natalie to the dressing room and waited while her niece tried on the yellow. When Natalie emerged in the blue dress, Addison was taken aback at how thin she looked. Her collar bone protruded dangerously from her body and the dress hung loosely off of her body. Her skin looked washed out and pale against the yellow.

"What do you think?" Natalie asked. "I love the dress but it looks horrible on me. Plus it's strapless so I'd never be allowed to wear it."

"Yeah, I've got to agree. You don't have the right skin tone for it."

Natalie retreated to the fitting room. This time, she had on the blue dress.

"Ooh, Nat, you look beautiful. I love the color! It really brings out your eyes."

Natalie contemplated her reflection in the three-way mirror. "Maybe I'll get it for prom, if I go. Will you take a picture so I can show my mom?"

"Of course." Natalie handed Addison her cell phone and Addison took a shot of the front and one of the back of the dress.

After discovering that the green dress was too low cut for any prom, Natalie changed back into her jeans and sweatshirt and she and Addison went back out to the store. They headed back over to the Juniors' section and began to look through the clothing racks.

"What does Kristin like?" Addison asked.

"Something modest, nothing too flashy. Probably blue or green or pink or yellow."

Addison held up a yellow and white striped v-neck top. "How about this?"

"Yeah! That's perfect! How much is it?"

Addison glanced at the price tag. "Um, fifteen dollars. Do you want to get it?"

"Yeah, and I want to look for a purse for her too."

"Okay."

They headed over to the purse department. While Natalie browsed the tables, she began to dance along to the music that was playing throughout the store. The song ended and the familiar chords of "Footloose" began.

"Come on, Aunt Addie! Dance with me!"Natalie said, dropping her purse and the yellow shirt on the carpet and grabbing her Aunt's hands. Addison laughed and spun her out and back in.

When the song ended, they both stopped to catch their breath. In the process, Natalie began to cough. She clutched the table for support while her coughing fit continued. Worried, Addison leaned over her and rubbed her back.

"Sweetie, Nattie? Are you okay? Can you breathe?"

Natalie nodded as the coughing subsided, carefully taking one shuddering breath after another. She looked weakly up at her Aunt.

"Aunt Addie, I don't feel well," She said, her voice trembling.

Addison's heart melted. "Oh sweetie, I know. Do you want to go home?"

"In a minute," She said, pointing to the purses, "I just want to pick one of these."

Addison silently watched as she chose a black leather one with cherries on it. Together, they walked over to the service desk. Natalie placed her purchases on the counter and protested when Addison tried to hand the cashier her credit card.

"Aunt Addie, it's for my best friend's birthday. You are not paying."

"Fine," She sighed, "but you have to get well enough to go to prom because I'm going to buy you that dress. Okay?"

Natalie gave her a small smile as they left the store. "Deal."

When they reached the car, Addison placed the shopping bag in the backseat and retrieved her stethoscope.

Natalie rolled her eyes when she saw what Addison was holding. "Why do you even have that in your car?"

"For times like these. Now be quiet, I want to listen to your breathing."

"Well?" Natalie said after a minute.

"When I get back to the hospital, I'm going to talk to the Chief and try to get your treatment started sooner."

"That bad, huh?"

Addison sighed and started the car. "Well, it's certainly not good."

Twenty minutes later, Addison pulled into the Giambattistas' driveway. She helped Natalie out of the car and into the house. Natalie immediately curled up on the couch.

"Nattie, what hurts?"

She made a face. "My chest mostly. I ate some breakfast earlier and it's kinda bothering my stomach, but that happens pretty much whenever I eat…I don't know, I just don't have a lot of energy, you know?"

Addison nodded. "Do you want a drink or anything?"

"Maybe some water."

"Okay," She said, heading into the kitchen. She filled a glass with water and brought it back to Natalie, who took a sip and placed it on the coffee table.

"Do you have to go back to work soon?

"Probably. Are you going to be alright?"

Natalie glanced at the clock. It was already 2:30. "Yeah, I'll be okay. I'm just going to lie on the couch. Camille and Allison will be home soon."

"Okay, I'm gonna let you rest."

"Thank you so much for taking me shopping. I had a blast."

Addison reached down to give her a hug. "Oh, you're very welcome. I'm glad you had fun."

Addison said goodbye and left.

* * *

Author's Note: Let me start off by saying how sorry I am that it's taken me so long to post this chapter. It is the longest so far and between school and work and life, I haven't had a lot of time to write.

Today is Natalie's 18th birthday! woohoo!! : ) I wanted this chapter to focus more on Natalie as a person and less on everything else. The title comes from the song "Suddenly I See" by KT Tunstall. I thought the lyrics described Nat perfectly. Most of the stuff in this chapter is true. Lauren is obsessed with "Our Song" and freaks out whenever it comes on. Natalie and her friends all love going to the mall and trying on dresses. Natalie's nickname is Firefly and Kristin's is Grasshopper. Natalie loves all kinds of music, from the Big Band/Frank Sinatra sort of stuff to country. The card Natalie's friends made for her is real. Natalie got Kristin the cherry purse for her 17th birthday (March 21st, 2007).

I don't know when the next chapter will be up. Hopefully within a few days. I figured it all out and there are going to be 14 chapters. So I'm halfway there. Check my profile page often. Keep reading and reviewing!

Thanks!! : )


	8. Fall Into Me

Chapter Eight: Fall Into Me

When Addison returned to Seattle Grace, she entered the elevator to find Derek.

"Addison," He said in surprise, "I thought the Chief said you took the day off. He said you were going to visit Nat."

"Yeah, I took her shopping to get a birthday present for her friend Kristin. It got cut a little short though."

"Really? Why?"

"Derek, I'm so worried about her. She's not doing well at all. We have to do something for her lungs. She's having trouble breathing and I swear one of these days she's gonna cough up blood. I'm going to see if the Chief thinks we should start her treatments sooner."

"Good plan. Other than that, how is she?"

"She seems lonely. I mean, she's home alone all day and when she's around people, they don't know what to say to her."

He nodded in understanding as the elevator doors opened and they stepped out. "I think it's good that you took her out. You have always been her heroine and I think it meant a lot to her."-He gave her a small smile-"I don't know if I ever told you this, but when Nat was about six, I asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up and she said 'A baby doctor.' And her mom said, 'Like Aunt Nancy?' and Nat said, 'No, like Aunt Addie."

Addison's heart softened. "Poor Nancy."

Derek shrugged. "I don't think Nancy ever found out."

"Oh, well, I should go," She said gesturing in the direction of the Chief's office.

"Right. Well, I'll see you later, Addison," He said and they parted ways.

When Addison reached the Chief's office, she knocked on the open door. When he saw her, he beckoned her in.

"Natalie's not doing well is she?" He asked.

Addison began to nod and then hesitated. "How did you know?"

"If she was fine you wouldn't be here asking me for help."

Addison could feel her face turning slightly pink. She explained to him about the incident at the mall that morning and asked him to start the cancer treatments sooner. The Chief calmly told her that he would do what he could. Addison thanked him and left.

* * *

That night Addison decided to go to Joe's. Surprisingly, she didn't see many of her fellow doctors. Feeling slightly lonely, she sat down at the bar and ordered a drink. Addison was concentrating on her glass of wine when she subconsciously noticed someone sit down next to her.

"Is this seat taken?"

She looked up to find Alex. "Be my guest."

Alex watched Addison as she stared absentmindedly into her wine glass. She looked tired, emotionally and physically. Her eyes were red and drooped a little, as if she hadn't gotten much sleep in the past few days. Which, he supposed, she hadn't. Her eyes had the look to them of a person whose soul is being slowly destroyed. She looked so forlorn and lost, all he wanted to do was make her feel better.

She could feel him watching her. At that point though, she really didn't care. Maybe Natalie had been right about him liking her. Either that or she really did look as terrible as she felt. She knew that she didn't look as put together as she had that morning. She had showered before leaving the hospital and hadn't bothered to take the time to redo her makeup. Her hair, still damp from the shower was pulled back into a knot in a very haphazard way. There were worry wrinkles starting to appear around her eyes, which were a little puffy from all the tears she had shed in the past few weeks.

Finally Alex spoke, "Dr. Montgomery? Do you want me to take you home?"

She turned and considered him for a minute. "I'm not drunk." She told him, slightly defensive. "This is only my first glass."

"I know." He said while he paid for both of their drinks. He stood up, extending a hand to her. "Come on."

She stood up and he reached for her coat, helping her into it. She picked up her bag and let him place a hand on her back, guiding her outside to his car.

After making sure she had buckled her seatbelt, he started the car and pulled away from the bar.

Both of them were silent as Alex drove towards the hotel he knew Addison was staying at. He glanced over at her. She was staring blankly out the window at the lights of the city as they flew by. They reached the hotel and he pulled into an empty parking space. Before she could do it herself, he ran around to the passenger side to open her door for her.

Addison momentarily thought about making a cynical comment about being able to open a car door herself, but decided against it and allowed him to lead her inside. He once again had his hand resting on her lower back, which puzzled her. She couldn't figure out why he was being so nice to her all of a sudden but decided to let it go. It had been a long time since a man had put his arm around her like this. Certainly Mark had never done it, and she couldn't remember the last time Derek had done it, not since she had been in Seattle anyway. A little voice in the back of her head told her that Alex probably was trying to get her to sleep with him. She quickly pushed the thought out of her mind. Although Alex was somewhat of a womanizer, she somehow didn't think those were his intentions for that night. Another voice in her head pointed out that sex with Alex Karev might not be such a bad thing. It had been months since she had had sex. She missed the feeling of being loved and her body ached for the comfort and security. Plus, Natalie had told her that Alex had even admitted to liking her so it probably wouldn't be hard to get him to agree, if sex wasn't his intention in the first place that is.

They rode the elevator up to the third floor and walked down the hall until Addison stopped at her door and swiped the key card to unlock it. After silently inviting him inside, she shut the door and took her coat off, draping it over the back of a chair.

Alex surveyed her room. It was furnished in typical hotel décor, although more elegant than any hotel he'd ever stayed in. Given that she spent most of her time at the hospital, it was pretty clean.

He turned to face her and saw that she had a look of uncertainty on her face.

"Why are you being so nice to me, Karev?" She asked him, speaking the first words since they had left the bar.

"What?" He couldn't tell if she was accusing him or just asking out of curiosity.

"Are you just trying to get me to sleep with you? 'Cause you don't need to use bribery."

Too late Addison realized her slip up and quickly felt her face turning a shade of red that, she was sure, rivaled only that of her hair. Alex, noticing her obvious discomfort, chose to ignore the comment for the time being and focused on the question she had asked.

"I know this whole thing with Natalie has been really hard for you and you just seemed lonely, or like you needed support or a friend or whatever," He said shrugging.

"Oh," Addison said, a little embarrassed. "Um, thanks Karev. That's really nice of you."

"Friends?" He proposed, holding out his arms. She stepped into his embrace and he held her for a few minutes. She allowed herself to relax into his arms and buried her face in his chest, breathing in his crisp masculine scent, wishing that she could stay in his arms forever.

Finally, she lifted her head off of his chest and looked him in the eyes. She gave him a small smile and he released her from his arms.

"So," Alex said, grinning, "you've thought about us sleeping together?"

Addison tried to resist blushing again. "Let's just say I've heard that you think I'm hot."

Alex rolled his eyes. "I'm guessing Natalie told you about that little slip up."

She laughed. "Yep. I guess we're even now, but don't get any ideas, Karev."

"Why? Would that be bad?" He smirked, slowing stepping closer to her and boldly placing his hands on her hips, his eyes locking with hers.

"Yes." She murmured, trying to calm her fluttering insides and her raging hormones. The thought flashed in her mind that if he slid his hands an inch or two lower, they would be on her ass. Her stomach did another nervous flip-flop at the thought. "Very bad," She forced out, willing herself to look away from his eyes. They were practically daring her to make the next move. After silently arguing with herself over how wrong this was, she gave up.

Addison reached up and grabbed his face, bringing his mouth to hers. It took Alex a few seconds to get over the shock of her actions. When he did, he began kissing her back fiercely. Their tongues dueled and his hands slipped down onto her ass, pulling her closer to him. Her hands left his face and tightly gripped the lapels of his coat. His hands began to roam her back, one of them settling on her waist and the other in her hair. Addison tugged his coat off and it landed on the floor. She kiced off her shoes and began to move them towards the bed until he fell back onto it, causing her to land on top of him.

"What happened to being friends?" He asked in between kisses.

"This is you being supportive." She told him.

He laughed and expertly rolled them over so that he was on top and began to kiss her neck. She sighed contently and wove her fingers into his hair. In the meantime, Alex was concentrating on removing her sweater, a task which was proving to be quite difficult since she didn't seem to want to let go of him. She finally let go and he pulled the sweater over her head, leaving her in a black lacy bra and jeans, the latter of which he unbuttoned and slid down her long legs to reveal panties that matched the bra.

He paused to admire her beauty. Her chest was heaving and she was looking up at him, questioningly.

"Karev?" He chose to silence her with a kiss that started off slow, but soon became heated and passionate.

That was the moment that Alex's pager decided to go off.

Alex swore loudly and collapsed next to her on the bed. He glanced at his pager and groaned.

"You have to go," Addison said. It wasn't a question. He simply nodded and leaned over to give her a last quick kiss before he got up.

He picked up his jacket off the ground and turned to face her. She was pulling her sweater back on as she got off the bed. She gave him a shy smile.

"I should go, but I'll see you tomorrow." He said it almost as a question, not completely sure what she was thinking. She nodded and he turned to leave.

"Karev?" He turned back around and she gave him a last gentle kiss. "You seriously owe me after leaving me after all that."

He gave her a grin. "I promise, next time we're both off. Okay?"

"Fine. Now go." She laughed giving him a slight shove towards the door. Alex left the hotel room, leaving Addison all alone. She sank back onto the bed and let out a large sigh of disappointment.

* * *

Author's Note

Sorry it has taken me so long to update. I hope that someone is actually still reading this. Obviously, there isn't a lot of Natalie stuff going on in this chapter. People wanted to see some Addison'Alex action though. I kind of wrote it in a rush so it's probably not quite up to par. The next chapters will appear a lot faster than this one did, don't worry! The title of this chapter comes from the name of a Sugarland song.

Please review!


	9. Hope

Chapter Nine: Hope

Much to Addison's disappointment, she didn't see Alex at all the next day. Instead, she spent the day checking on patients and performing a couple of emergency C-Sections.

That night, she arrived at Joe's to find Callie sitting at a table in the corner, watching George throw darts.

"Hey," Callie greeted her, gesturing to the empty chair next to her. "I heard about your niece. How are you doing?"

Addison sat down and sighed. "It's just so hard. I don't know what to do. I'm supposed to be supportive and optimistic because I'm her doctor, not to mention her aunt, and I have no problem convincing myself that she can get through this because she's young and strong and, until now, healthy, because I look at her and my heart just melts. But as soon as I'm by myself and it actually sinks in how bad the situation is, I start to have doubts and lose hope. And I think 'what if she doesn't make it through this?' And then I feel incredibly guilty for thinking that, but I can't help it because I'm so worried. She's counting on me to help her get through this and I don't know if I can which scares the hell out of me. Medicine is failing me and I don't know how to help her." She wiped away the tears that had begun to stream down her face and looked up at her friend. "What do I do, Callie? I can't just keep telling her that she's going to be fine when I can't even convince myself that."

Callie put a hand on her friend's shoulder and squeezed it. "I don't know. I wish I knew what to say. I don't know that there is a lot that anyone can say. We're trained to put our full trust in science, but sometimes, I guess, we have to put our faith in other things, things like religion and God. We have to accept that there is nothing we can do and leave it up to fate. If God wants this to happen to her, then no amount of medicine is going to stop it from happening."

Addison smiled weakly. "That's what Natalie said to me the other day."

"In that case, listen to your patient!" Callie told her.

Addison laughed slightly. "Thanks, Callie. I think I'm just going to go back to my hotel." Callie said goodbye and Addison left.

* * *

On Monday afternoon, Natalie was back for another round of tests.

"Hi, Nat. How are you feeling?" Addison asked her, giving her a hug.

"The same," She replied, shrugging. "Which I guess could either be good or bad, depending on how you look at it. How is everything with you? Deliver any cute babies lately?"

"Two on Saturday, one of them was only 32 weeks so he's going to be in the NICU for awhile."

"Aw. I love babies," Natalie said, grinning.

Addison laughed. "One of the interns will be up in a little bit to do a CT. And tomorrow, the oncologist is going to talk to you and your parents about starting chemo."

"Do I have to stay over tonight?"

"Nope." Addison said, shaking her head. "Any requests for an intern?"

"Surprise me."

"Okay. I have to go to a meeting but I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow."

"Bye, Nattie," Addison said and left the room.

A little while later, Meredith knocked on Natalie's door.

"Meredith, Hi!" Natalie said, giving her a big smile.

"Hey, Natalie."

"How are things going with Uncle Derek? I haven't seen him in awhile."

"Pretty good I guess. He was going fishing yesterday morning, so he had been looking forward to that."

"Oh yes. Uncle Derek loves to fish. I remember this one time, he was visiting from New York and he took my brothers with him. They caught this fish that was like 18 inches long. It was crazy!"

Meredith wrinkled her nose. "I don't know what I'll do if he is ever crazy enough to want to take me. I am definitely not an outdoor person."

"Don't worry. He won't. Fishing is his guy thing. He used to go with his dad and grandpa before they died. Then he and my dad used to go before my brother Sean was born. I think he and Addison's brother even went one time. He says it's a guy bonding thing."

"Oh yeah. He and some of the men from here went a few months ago."

"Mark didn't go, did he?"

"No."

Natalie rolled her eyes. "Mark never goes. I have no idea why."

Meredith shrugged. "Well, anyway, I have to take you down for a CT."

"Alright." She sighed, climbing into the waiting wheelchair.

* * *

The next morning, Addison walked into the conference room to find Natalie, her parents, the Chief, Bailey and a man Addison recognized as one of the oncology attendings. The chief introduced the oncologist as Dr. Holland.

Holland began to explain outline a treatment plan, which would begin with chemotherapy a week from Thursday. Addison watched her niece while Holland explained all the possible side effects of chemo, including nausea, a greater chance of contracting infections and hair loss. Addison noticed Natalie absentmindedly twisting a lock of hair around her finger and quickly forced the image of Natalie without her beautiful hair out of her mind.

Holland finished his presentation and everyone shook hands and parted ways.

A little while later, Addison was at a Nurses' Station when Alex Karev walked up to her.

"Dr. Montgomery," He said acknowledging her.

"Well, Dr. Karev, I haven't seen you in a few days," She said lowering her voice and smirking at him. "Did I scare you away?"

He shook his head. "I've just been busy with patients and surgeries. But I have tomorrow night off." –He paused- "Um, do you want to go to dinner?"

"Sure," Addison agreed and gave him a smile.

"Okay. I have to go check on a patient, but I'll pick you up at 7:30."

"Okay," She said and he walked away.

* * *

Author's Note:

The title of this chapter comes from Idina Menzel's song "Hope." It's an absolutely beautiful song that you should all go buy on itunes right now because the proceeds from it go to Stand Up To Cancer.

I'm not sure that this chapter is very good because a certain reader (another friend of Natalie's) recently discovered this story and has been bugging me to finish it as soon as possible, so I wrote this chapter really fast. In any case, I need a litle reassurance that this chapter is up to par, so please review! The next chapter should be up within a few days.


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